These Words Are Bittersweet
by reachgracebyfalling
Summary: Caroline and Klaus drabbles.
1. Chapter 1

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These Words Are Bittersweet

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One - Flowers

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Katherine leaned closer into the painting and breathed it in - new paint, freshly carved wood, linseed oil – some of her favourite things.

"Caroline said it was a gift," Liz interrupted the moment, "She snuck in and hung it up while I was at work."

"You certainly don't keep something like this in a dorm room," Katherine slid a look at the woman who; despite certain previous actions, had offered her the guest room, "But if it had been sent to me, I'd want it somewhere I could see it every day"

"It's very beautiful," Liz admitted with a wistful sigh, "But wouldn't it have been easier to send her a bunch of flowers, instead of sending her a painting a them?"

"Much easier, but," Katherine dropped her voice to a whisper, as if she was telling a secret she'd promised never to repeat, "You put more effort into a _declaration of love_."

"Love?" Liz gave her an incredulous look.

"This took time and thought and effort to produce. It's not a reproduction or a photo." She ran a hand down the edge of the frame, "Hand carved cedar, with iris's at the corners, and violets along the sides. It's a message, telling Caroline of the strength of his faithfulness."

The sheriff glanced from Katherine, to the painting, then back to Katherine. "And the roses? The tulips?"

"Yellow tulips, white roses and ranunculus, in some lovely shades of orange and pink." Katherine sighed wistfully, remembering when she'd received a similar bouquet, though Elijah had added asphodel as a warning, "Hopeless love, but from someone who thinks he's worthy of her dazzling charms."

"What about the… twigs…sticks?" Liz asked unsure of the correct description.

"Branches, with blossoms," Katherine corrected, "Apple, peach, almond, probably some orange, they all looks the same to me. But the pineapple in the wallpaper is a nice touch."

"Because it means?" Liz prompted.

"The… _twigs…_ say that she's his first choice, that she holds him captive and he has hopes for certain future events. He also thinks she's perfect," Katherine sighed dramatically, it had decades since anyone shown her that level of romantic gesture, "Caroline obviously doesn't have floriology among her accomplishments, or she'd be sleeping with this thing."

"I need to go lie down," Liz stared at the painting, a frown creasing her forehead,

"And I'm taking a bottle of wine with me."

"Are you ok?" Katherine asked, genuinely concerned for her host.

"I think," Liz said carefully, "That Klaus proposed to my daughter with a painting, and she doesn't know it."

Katherine paled, her jaw dropping as she looked back at the painting and came to the same conclusion. "We're going to need something stronger than wine."

"First we drink this," Liz snagged a bottle of schnapps from the back of the buffet, "Then we figure out if we're explaining the painting to Caroline, or if we're telling Klaus why she hasn't responded yet."

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" _Apparently," Elijah checked his phone again, making sure he'd read the message correctly, "I'm to inform you that while the gift was well received, the message was lost in translation."_

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Cedar – Strength

Iris – A message. (Faith, valour and wisdom. Royalty, the fleur-de-lis.)

Violets - Faithfulness

Yellow tulips – Hopeless love

White roses – I am worthy of you

Ranunculus – You are radiant, I am dazzled by your charms

Asphodel – My regrets follow you to the grave

Apple blossom – Preference

Peach blossom – I am your captive

Almond – Hope

Pineapple – You are perfect


	2. Chapter 2

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These Words are Bittersweet.

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Two – Poison

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"Tell me Niklaus," Elijah said casually, watching Aurora's face, "Have you finally decided on your wife's anniversary gift?"

Aurora paled, while his brother rolled his eyes, hiding the soft smile that meant he was thinking of said wife.

"Wife!" Aurora stammered in shock, "I… yo-a wife!?"

"Yes," Elijah sipped his wine, "She makes Niklaus unbelievably agreeable, I'm quite fond of her."

"You're quite fond of her organisational skills." Klaus smirked, ignoring Aurora's spluttering, Tristan's affronted disbelieve, and Lucien's amusement.

"She understands the elegance and necessity of having a well detailed plan," Elijah turned back to their guests, "Wouldn't you agree?"

"You're lying," Tristan accused, "The whole world would have heard it if Klaus Mikealson had gotten married."

"It was a private event," Klaus reminisced, "Only _Ástin min_ and myself. I suppose the next one will have to be bigger."

"We have something penciled in for a late October or early November," Elijah murmured into the wine glass, "Next year, or the one after perhaps, when the flower girls are older."

"See?" Klaus grinned, topping up everyone's glasses and encouraging them to drink, "What is a wife, if not someone to organise your life for you?"

"I don't believe you" Aurora drained her drink, her face going as red as her hair, "You love me, you could not betray me so. It is simply not true!"

"You know, I spoke to her recently," Elijah smiled at her outrage, "She was a wealth of good advice, when I told her of this little tete-a-tete."

"I am your love, not some whore you've just me-" Aurora raged.

Klaus flashed behind her, slamming her face into the crockery. "The correct form of address is _Your Majesty_ or simply the _Queen_ , if I leave you with the ability to speak, that is."

"Queen who?" Lucius interrupted, trying to ease the tension, "We haven't heard your darling's name yet. One simply can't show proper respect without it."

"I suppose there's no harm," Elijah gestured for Klaus to let Aurora go, "Seeing as they won't be able to repeat it."

The three shared suddenly unsure glances.

"Since I've decided to take her good advice."

"And what was that?" Tristan attempted a confident sneer.

" _Caroline_ ," Smiling, Klaus named his queen, "Suggested a culling."

"I wasn't sure at first," Elijah admitted, "But she pointed out how our numbers have grown unchecked, the arrogance we all presume. Which is why I added wolf venom to all the drinks."

"No!" Lucien dropped the glass, flashing away before it shattered on the ground. He slammed into the barrier Freya had erected earlier and was thrown back several meters. He was on his feet in less than a second, running at the barrier again.

"No more than a third of the Strix will survive the night and any attempts to increase their numbers will be met with _severity_. " Elijah ignored Lucien's almost comical attempts to escape. "We've become too conspicuous."

"Some of that might be my fault," Klaus said without remorse or regret. Putting a finger under Aurora's chin, making her look at him, he spoke softly, " _Ástin min_ does abhor needless violence. For her to suggest such a thing…"

"What about Rebekah?" She shook, starting to feel the venom in her veins, "You won't be able to find her if we're dead."

"The Strix will not stand for this," Tristan declared desperately, "Others-"

"Will learn that angering Originals means death," Elijah stood, wiping his hands on a napkin, "Something the supernatural wold seems to have forgotten. And since Rebekah has already been found, you are no longer necessary."

"You'll have to send Caroline a thank you gift," Klaus reminded his older brother.

"I thought she might appreciate your and Hope's presence, a late Christmas surprise," Elijah snapped Tristan and Lucian's necks on his way out of the courtyard, "If our business here is concluded in time."

"I think it will be," Klaus took a wooden serving spoon from the table, "Goodbye Aurora."

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 _Ástin mín_ –My love (Icelandic)

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	3. Chapter 3

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These Words are Bittersweet

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Three - Smile

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He rarely ventured into his brother's studio without said brother being present, it was Niklaus' sanctuary – as much as any place could be – and Elijah tried to keep it that way. But today he needed some extra insight into his brother's state of mind.

There were no new paintings, but a large canvas waited on the easel by the window and several dozen pages of preliminary sketches had been spread out across every flat surface. He lifted what looked to be the most complete one, angling it toward the best light. A familiar looking young woman carrying a bouquet of white and pink daffodils, smiled at him. _What was her name?_

"Reduced to snooping, Brother?" Klaus accused from the doorway, "Don't you usually have a minion to do that for you?"

"And risk them causing irreparable damage?" Elijah gestured toward the other drawings with his free hand, "I was merely wondering what new muse had caught your gaze."

"Just some old sketches, I was looking for any final inspiration," Klaus shrugged, his gaze shifting from Elijah to the sketch in his hand, "Before I sent them to the archives."

Elijah gave the drawing in his hand another look, recalling the name of its subject.

"I'll leave you to your…" He held the page out to his brother, "Considerations."

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	4. Chapter 4

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These Words are Bittersweet

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Four – Burn

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He burns it all.

Every sketch, every painting, every scrap of paper he's ever doodled her image on. The furniture, the curtains, the carpet and the everything else from the room he'd decided was hers. The clothes, the jewellery, and the knick-knacks. Everything.

He pours 100 year old brandy on the flames until he almost burns down the house, and all that's left are soft, snow-like ashes, soot covered gems and sections of the courtyard plated in gold and platinum. Then he goes into the cellar and drinks himself to death every night for a month.

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' _I'm sorry," Stephan sounds tired, his voice roughened by what ever he's apologising for, "There was a hunter, she killed Caroline."_

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Freya kicked the bottles further away from her brother and poured a bucket of iced water over his head. Klaus lashed out – wet, cold and hungover – snarling and baring his teeth at the perpetrator.

Freya stepped out of reach, and aimed the second bucket directly at his face. "She wouldn't want you to do this."

"How the hell would you know?" He snarled, wiping water from his eyes.

"I've seen her, remember?" Freya held out a towel, "In your memories. I know that Caroline would not want you to do this."

"I _want_ to do this," Klaus declared, his voice dead, "And she's not alive to want anything anymore."

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	5. Chapter 5

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These Words are Bittersweet

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Five - Switch

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There's so much blood. It drips from the ceiling and runs down the walls, to join the puddles that already cover most of the floor.

There's a part of her – a very small part these days – that should be horrified. That part, however, is the past. The present and future Caroline strips off her already ruined dress and revels in that same horror.

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Klaus watches the horror and the revelry, conflicted.

Caroline - this Caroline - could be a _Queen_ , her reign dark and more bloody than even Stephan's best days as a _the Ripper of Monterey_. A new Elizabeth Bathory, and oh-what a sight that would be.

But he also knows that 'the switch' comes with a timer. And she would never forgive him for letting her continue on like this.

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	6. Chapter 6

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These Words are Bittersweet.

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Six - Protect

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"That was your father?!" Shocked surprise was all over Elijah, "Esther brought back your father?"

"The wolf that fathered me," Klaus corrected glibly, "Yes."

"I, ah… how-"

"I sent him away," Klaus interrupted his brother's stammering, "His wolf was drawing him ever closer towards Hope, Esther was using that to find her. It was either send him elsewhere or kill him."

(And killing one father; no matter how useless, had been difficult enough.)

"Elsewhere?" Elijah asked after a long pensive moment.

"Mystic Falls," Klaus hesitated, "To Caroline Forbes."

Elijah gave him a disbelieving look. "You convinced a wolf to abandon his blood, for a _vampire_?"

"No," Klaus ran a hand through his hair; rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet, vibrating nervousness. He stepped closer to his brother and lowered his voice, "As his Alpha, I asked him to protect my _Mate_."

His hushed confession hit both Originals like a battering ram to their chests.

"You can't lie about that sort of thing, Niklaus!" Elijah hissed, grabbing Klaus by the arms, giving him a hard, jarring shake, "If you care at all for that girl-"

"I didn't lie," Klaus said, accepting the rough treatment, "I can't, not about…"

"Does Miss Forbes know what you have done?" Elijah stepped back, letting Klaus go, "What she is to you?"

"No," A quick left sided smirk flashed across his face, "Not unless she speaks the old language."

"Which your father does." Elijah returned the smirk.

" _Ansel_ may tell her what ever he pleases."

"And if he tells her about Hope?"

"Then she'll never let him leave her side," Klaus grinned, "No matter what we are or are not, Caroline would never allow an innocent child to be harmed."

"And… Ansel?"

"He won't let Esther or any of the troubles Mystic Falls attracts to harm her," Klaus gave Elijah his best attempt to look innocent, "She has my number if she wishes to complain."

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A/N: Yes, I know, some of these are quite terrible.


	7. Chapter 7

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These Words are Bittersweet.

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Seven – Company

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"This is all your fault!" Caroline announced as soon as Klaus answered his phone, "Completely your fault."

"Hello Caroline, how lovely to hear from you," Klaus smiled at her accusations, "I'm afraid I have no idea what I'm being blamed for."

"My mother and your father," She hissed, "Are giving us a little brother or sister!"

"Uh… ah-a, um wha-" Klaus choked.

"It could be both," She added, "Did you know that multiples are common on your father's side of the family? Apparently you had 21 cousins."

"Sweetheart," Klaus said carefully, trying to process what he'd just heard, "Didn't I tell you to _not_ play matchmaker."

"I didn't!" Caroline almost growled, "You sent Ansel-tall and smiling, and polite with dimples-Ansel here, where he flirted with my mother! Therefore, this is your fault."

"If I remember correctly," Klaus protested, "It isn't exactly a solo affair. And since you and your mother haven't gutted Ansel, nor sent me his heart in a box or put his head on a pike, I feel safe in assuming that such flirtations were not unwelcome."

"That is not the point." Caroline huffed.

"Feeling lonely, Love?" Klaus smiled at her indignation, "Or is it simply that you wish to stay an only child? "

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A/N: It wasn't intended to be a sequel to the previous chapter, but can be read a such.


	8. Chapter 8

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These Words are Bittersweet.

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Eight – Cards

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Caroline celebrates her forty-seventh birthday on one of the Faroe Islands. For all the wandering she does; all the days on sun-drenched beaches and dusty streets and humid jungles, she spends at least three times more in centuries old cities, snow covered islands and forests that feel like the old gods still live in them.

A week later the smiling concierge at her favourite Amsterdam hotel, hands her an envelope along with the key to her favourite room. Which, while also having what Caroline considers the best view in the entire city, has been filled with red, pink and yellow tulips.

The envelope contains a card and a note.

Apparently the big bad Original Hybrid wanted her to know that she and his first granddaughter – Charlotte Regina Mikaelson – shared a birthday.

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	9. Chapter 9

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These Words are Bittersweet

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Nine - Storm

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It's not that Rebekah is friends, or even particularly friendly, with Caroline; polite would probably be the least stretched description of their relationship. But the important thing is that Rebekah knows that Caroline is reliable, that when it really, really matters, Caroline is a person you can go to when you need help (It doesn't hurt either at this point that her mother's the sheriff).

Which is why the door of the car she can't legally drive is left hanging open, as she frantically bangs on Caroline's door at two in the morning, in the middle of the worst storm Mystic Falls has seen in fifty years.

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It takes Caroline a stupidly long time to realise what the sound is, that she needs to get out of bed and answer the door. Longer still to pull on a dressing gown and get downstairs, turning on lights as she goes.

Rebekah looks like someone drained all her blood away, soaked through in the seconds it took to reach the front porch.

"Wha-"

"It's Nik," Her teeth chattered together as the _frantic rush_ wore off and the _cold-wet_ began to set in, "Mikael…"

Caroline strips off the dressing gown, wrapping it around the other girl before the name is complete. Everyone knows Rebekah's father, knows his temper and knows that Nik is his favourite punching bag (though the reasons why differ depending on the source of the gossip).

"Kitchen's in the back and on the left," She directed Rebekah deeper into the house, grabbing a few of the towels she'd left for when her mother eventually got home, "Put the kettle on."

It's not just Nik, Kol and Henrik sit on either side of him, on the back seat. Henrik keeping him awake by demanding Nik help him practise his times tables. Kol's keeping him upright and holding the remains of a torn t-shirt against his older brother's left temple and forearm.

Nik is almost dead weight, tripping over his own feet, head lolling back and forth as Caroline and Kol walk Nik into the house, his arms over their shoulders. Henrik running back and forth to open and close doors, looking somewhat ridiculous wrapped in a bright pink towel to try and stay dry.

The rain has eased a little, but they still track a lot of water into the house.

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Rebekah has found the basket of clean laundry Caroline leaves for her mother to fold; Liz claims it is calming, for all that her daughter's fingers itch to do it herself. She's changed her wet socks and sweater for dry ones, has left off trying to find brotherly appropriate items, to fill mugs with hot water – she's found the better chocolate mix and the tiny marshmallows too.

Caroline gets the first aid kit from the dinning room, while the twins coax their older brother into having a few sips of the hot drink.

The cut on his head isn't too bad, easily dealt with, with iodine, butterfly band aides, and a 'this will sting'. Which wakes Nik up enough to get him to drink more of the hot chocolate and for Caroline – who had grumbled and groaned when Liz had made her take the same first aid course as the rest of the deputies – to start expecting a certain amount of coherency.

"What happened?" Is her first question, while unwrapping his arm under the less pale faced gaze of Rebekah.

"The power went out," Nik winced, losing what colour he'd gotten back from his face, "Mikael blamed me for him missing some cricket game."

"Half the town lost power," Caroline handed Rebekah a torch, directing the light at the gash along Nik's arm, leaning in close to look for flecks of glass, "My Mum got called out, said a tree or two got knocked over."

"Well, I l got knocked into a wall," He gestured with his free hand at his head, then at the arm laid out on the table, "Then I fell on one of Mother's vases."

"You might have a concussion," Caroline continued to pick out pieces of glass, "And I'd prefer to let the hospital-"

"NO!" The siblings almost shouted, flinching violently away from her.

"The only thing they'll do is call Mikael," Rebekah shook at the possibility, "We aren't, we're not…"

"Ok," Caroline waited for them the resettle, " What do you want to do instead?"

"I've got Freya's address, " Kol suggested from where he leaned against the door frame. He's got that freshly scrubbed – used up all the hot water – pink faced look about him, "Saved it from last year's Christmas cards, after Mummy and Daddy dearest threw them in the bin, Paid for Hen's soccer shoes with the money they didn't realise she'd sent us."

Caroline had shown him the box of clothes she'd been about to send to the nearest woman's shelter, telling him to take whatever he and Henrik needed. The pants are too short, the shirt too big and the socks are electric blue, covered in frogs and daisies.

"Hen's asleep," He finished what's left of Nik's not so hot chocolate, "Didn't think the Sheriff would mind if he used her bed."

"You used all the hot water didn't you?" Rebekah rolled her eyes, huffing a sigh.

"Not _all_ of it," Kol protested, "Henrik used some."

"Shush," Caroline cut off the argument before it began, picking out what she hoped was the last piece of glass, "The linen closet's next to the bathroom and the sofa pulls out, You boys can share it."

She glanced up at Rebekah. "And if you kick or you're a blanket stealer, you can join them."

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It's telling just how long of a night Liz has had that she sees; but doesn't really register, the car haphazardly parked in her driveway.

She just wants to get inside and out of the rain. Wants a hot shower and dry clothes and her warm bed. And she needs to leave Caroline a note about school being cancelled for the next week.

Several trees had come down in the storm and the luck they'd had in having only one (admittedly large) blackout, had not extended to the leak in the high school's roof. They'd need more than just luck to have everything dried out and repaired for the next Monday.

Liz is not so tired to not notice Henrik Mikaelson sitting at the breakfast nook, eating slightly burnt toast piled high with strawberry jam, and a half empty glass of milk covered in sticky fingerprints.

The wide-eyed frozen-fearful look he gives her is all to revealing.

Liz sighed, sitting across from him and stealing the last piece of toast. She pulled off her boots , wriggling her toes and sighing again in relief – especially when Henrik relaxes enough to pout about losing the rest of his breakfast.

"Are you all here?" Liz asked. The rain that had almost stopped around dawn was falling again; heavier than before, and she needed to get some sleep, before the calls about flooding started.

Henrik nodded while drinking, almost spilling milk everywhere.

"Bekah's sharing with Caroline," He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, "Kol and Nik are in the living room, they had a late night."

"I bet they did." Liz hauled herself up, opening an overhead cupboard and reaching into the back. Henrik's eyes lit up as she brought out a box of chocolate and sugar masquerading as cereal.

"Just don't tell Caroline, ok?"

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